
Patricia Bender & Mary Allessio Leck
Tulpehaking Nature Center
Exhibit Dates:
February 21st – July 19th, 2020
Opening Reception:
February 23rd, 2-4 PM
“Trees speak to the mind and tell us many things, and teach us many good lessons.” Anonymous 17th Century Gardener
What do we know about trees? How do they survive winter? How do they grow? Do they communicate? What would our world be like without trees?
These are just a few of the questions to keep in mind as you explore the art and (some) science of trees with Patricia Bender and Mary Leck.
There is so much to learn about trees and so much to appreciate about the beauty they bring to our world. This exhibition seeks to combine science and art in ways that will increase our understanding and enjoyment of the trees that grace our planet.
Patricia’s contributions will feature small black and white photographs of trees in the natural environment. Mary will share macro images of bark, in color and in black and white. She enjoyed researching how bark accommodates tree growth in circumference and was delighted to discover that not all trees are the same, just like human beings.
Accompanying materials will illustrate how trees grow.
Please submit any questions you may have about trees and we will endeavor to answer them.
(info@abbottmarshlands.org)
Exhibit Hours: (during regular Tulpehaking Nature Center hours; Friday and Saturday 10AM – 4PM. Sunday noon – 4PM and by appt.; 609-888-3218)
Affiliated Programming

February 23rd: 2 pm – 4 pm. Opening Reception
Meet the photographers: Patricia Bender & Mary Allessio Leck. Also, at 3 p.m. a reading: “OUT OF THE PARK: The White Ash and a boy’s early experiments with woodcraft” by John Maret, naturalist and author.
March 14th – 1 pm – 3 pm. Winter Tree Identification Workshop
The Abbott Marshlands is home to a wonderful variety of deciduous trees. Learn to recognize many of them even in winter. We will first meet indoors to cover some basics of twig and bud anatomy and then we’ll take a look at some cuttings and practice using a dichotomous key. Finally, we’ll take a walk outside to practice what we’ve learned. Free program. Registration. Meet at the Tulpehaking Nature Center, 157 Westcott Ave., Hamilton, NJ. Sponsored by Friends for the Abbott Marshlands and the Tulpehaking Nature Center/ Mercer County
April 25th – 1 pm – 3pm. Trees Alive! Aging and Experimenting with Trees.
Kerrie Sendall, Biology Department, Rider University. Dr. Sendall’s research involves the impact of climate change on trees. She will demonstrate how trees can be aged, and consider possible local impacts of climate change on the trees found in Roebling Park. Free program. No registration required.
Meet at the Tulpehaking Nature Center, 157 Westcott Ave., Hamilton, NJ. For additional information, see www.abbottmarshlands.org. Sponsored by Friends for the Abbott Marshlands and the Tulpehaking Nature Center/ Mercer County. Contact: 609-888-3218.
May 2nd – 10 am – noon. Spring at Northern Community Park: Wildflowers and Trees with Mary Leck.
Mary Leck will guide our First Saturday Wellness Walk this month. Free program. No registration required. Meet at the Northern Community Park Parking Area, Bordentown Township, on Groveville Road, between Rt. 206 and Rt. 130.
May 16th – 9:30 am – noon. Trees at Joseph Bonaparte’s Point Breeze.
Daniel Druckenbrod, Associate Professor, Department of Geological, Environmental & Marine Sciences, Rider University. Visit Point Breeze, home of Joseph Bonaparte from 1816 to 1832. Bonaparte landscaped his property after the French tradition, creating “one of the most significant, yet little known, garden parks in American landscape history.” (C.A. Webster, J. Garden History, 2012. The landscaping components prominently featured trees, some of which may remain to this day. Based on his research at Monticello, Mount Vernon, and other historical properties, Dr. Druckenbrod will consider how trees fit into this French-inspired historical landscape and the potential for interpreting this landscape today. Free program. Registration Required. To register email info@abbottmarshlands.org with names of participants. Meet at Divine Word Missionaries, 101 Park St., Bordentown, NJ. Please park near the gym, building toward your left after you enter the property. Sponsored by Friends for the Abbott Marshlands and Bordentown City Environmental Commission. Contact info@abbottmarshlands.org